It's Tuesday at 2:00pm! (PST Time: I live and work from Southern California)
Greetings to you!
Each week I send out a short leadership blog that's called "Tuesday at 2:00pm". The purpose of this is simply to provide a brief thought on leadership that you can read and think about in just a few minutes. I send it out every week at 2:00pm (PST) and encourage you to make an appointment with yourself to pause and think about the thing I'm writing about.
Russ...
LEADERSHIP QUOTE:
"I'm a success today because I had a friend who believed in me and I didn't have the heart to let him down." *Abraham Lincoln
What does this stir up? Either write me HERE or comment at the end of the blog post HERE.
A LITTLE BIT DEEPER:
We're continuing to explore MOTIVATION this month by looking at some quotes and simply drawing some personal application.
*This quote is most often attributed to Abraham Lincoln, but it's also been connected to Benjamin Franklin.
When I read this quote, I thought about motivation and realized that often I'm motivated to do things because of other peoples expectations for my life and work.
This isn't bad, and that idea of "not letting others down" is really important, but it can also lead you to do things you don't really want to or don't need to do.
My dad joined our Boy Scout Troupe back when I was 11 years old to climb Mt. Whitney in California. I don't think I had any idea what I was getting into. I thought me and a bunch of my friends were going camping, and that sounded like fun. My dad knew what climbing a 14,505 foot mountain was about because he had climbed it before. This peak is the highest point in the lower 48 states. He joined the trip to help me make it to the top.
Yes it was bad. Switchback trails straight up the front of the mountain for hours, and I've told this story before, my dad just kept telling me to take 10 more steps, then take a break. We inched our way up the mountain and eventually made it.
The motivation for me? Not letting my dad down, and reaching the summit. That motivation kept me moving and led to a moment at the top of celebration, which then turned into a rapid descent to get back to life at a reasonable altitude.
I would have never made it up that mountain had I not been carrying the expectation and the hope from my dad that I could actually do it.
That's motivation. The positive kind.
There's also another kind, the kind that comes with guilt.
I've said "YES" to so many things over the years because I didn't want to let people down, or because I thought that I was supposed to do something. Sometimes this has forced me to let down the people I care about the most in my attempt to make others happy or to meet their often unrealistic expectations.
Think about your story.
How has the idea of "letting people down" motivated you to do certain things been a positive thing or a negative thing?
DEEPER STILL:
Here's another thought about MOTIVATION...
I know that sometimes my relationship with Jesus is driven by some unrealistic expectations that I assume He has for me.
Sometimes I do things out of guilt or obligation instead of out of love and worship.
A couple of weeks ago I was was walking in a local harbor and I had been listening to a leadership podcast. "Something" prompted me to turn it off, so I put on a spiritual life podcast that was talking about spiritual disciplines. I listened for a moment, then "something" prompted me to turn it off and just listen to silence.
I had been intent on leveraging that walking time to improve my leadership or to be encouraged in my spiritual journey, but what I kept hearing was simply.... "COME".
Kind of like the words offered to Peter while Jesus was standing on the water... "COME". (Matthew 14:29 ESV)
I realize that often my motivation to be someone or to do something comes from the idea that Jesus wants me to be different, to do more, to constantly be growing. This motivation isn't bad, but when it's a layer of guilt on my life, it leads to dissatisfaction, paralysis and discontent.
Listen to these words from Jesus in Matthew 11:28 - 30:
"Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me - watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (MSG)
This is a whole other kind of motivation, it's an INVITATION to relationship, taking away all of the unrealistic expectations we place on our everyday lives.
Have you spent your life trying to live up to spiritual expectations that never came from Jesus? Here's his expectation.... "Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life." This should be our motivation.
Things I'm Reading, Listening To and Watching This Week:
I'm just finishing a really good book called Theo of Golden by Allen Levi. I can't explain it, but encourage you to read it. It's not a leadership book or a spiritual life book, but it talks about both through a really unique story with so many takeaways. Thanks Brad for the encouragement to read this!
The book Atomic Habits by James Clear helps you create systems and a framework for improving your life. He speaks to the idea of motivation throughout the entire book. I encourage you to read it, but don't only focus on the "TO DO" aspect of the book. Look for the purpose behind the "TO DO" list.
The Barnabas Group is hosting an Activating Prayer Training on August 13th here in Orange County. If you'd like to attend, send me a note and I'll get you a registration link. This is being presented by our friends at NOVO.
We just purchased this outdoor solar light on Amazon for our backyard and we're really happy with how easy the set-up was and how great it works!
I was introduced to a Scottish Band called the Trashcan Sinatras this past week. I've been enjoying their old music as well as their new music. Check them out! Thanks to Steve, their biggest fan!